Supporting-arm for telephone-transmitters.



'- PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

I A S; A. BEYLAND.

SUPPORTING ARM EoE TELEPHONE TRANSMITTERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1904.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. J. C c

PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906,

v s. A BEYLAND. SUPPORTING ARM FOR TELEPHONE TRANSMITTERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

SIDNEY A. BEYLAND, OF 'ELYRIA, OHIO, Assienon TO THE DEAN ELEC- TRIO COMPANY, OF ELYRIA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19,1906.

Application filed May 12, 1904. Serial No. 207,664.

' is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to supporting-arms for telephorie-transmitters, and particularly those which are used in connection with telephone wall sets.

, It has for its object .the production of such an, arm, preferably of the hollow type, which shall be economical to manufacture, easy to assemble, and efficient in use.

It is a particular object of the invention to produce means whereby the arm may be rendered readily applicable to any type of walltelephone and whereby the circuit connections will preferably be automatically completed in the act of securing the arm in position.

According to modern practice the transmitter-arm of a wall set is usually made hollow, so as to contain within itself and conceal the circuit-wires leading from the backboard or box to the transmitter-head. Manufacturers generally sell such arms with the transmitter-heads ready mounted thereon, the complete article then comprising the transmitter, the arm proper, and the base to which -it is pivoted and by which-it is supported upon the backboard. In most cases the conducting-Wires are left with sufficiently long ends to be passed through a hole drilled in the backboard or box front of the telephone and thereon soldered or otherwise secured to whatever terminals may be provided. The bases carrying the arms are commonly made of cast metal, flat on the back, and without any special provision for circuit connections of any kind. Obviously with such construction neither a finished nor uniform product can be produced. More- Over, in putting on an arm the connections are frequently troublesome to make, requiring considerable manipulation and frequently soldering, While, conversely, in removing an arm for any purpose the wire connections must be cut or brokenwith attendant trouble and derangement of the backboard-wiring.

; According to my present invention I pro duce a thoroughly commercial article, having ahigh and uniform finish, complete in itself and capable of attachment or removal to or from any type of telephone wall set without cutting or derang'ing the wiring with minimum trouble.

I make my hollow transmitter-arm proper preferably of cast metal and pivot it between cheek-plates on a pressed metal base. base is made of approximately the same depth as the ordinary cast base, and being hollow affords space for a small terminalrack, upon which I secure proper terminals for the transmitter-wires. These terminals are so formed that they can be made to cooperate and make contact with corresponding terminals on the backboard by simply placing the base in position, and I provide them with ordinary binding-screws, so that where the cooperating contacts are not available, connection may readily be effected without soldering and in the most secure manner.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side view of a transmitterarm embodying my invention, the base and terminal-rack thereon being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the base and a portion of the arm. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the base, showing the terminal-rack.

Fig.4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of terminals. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section thereon. Figs. 6 and 7 are rear views similar to Fig. 3, showing, respectively, the terminals of Figs. 4 and 5 and a further modification thereof. Figs. 7 a and 7 b are details of the punching 67 shown in Fig.

7 and showing a variation of the binding post. 4

.- Referring to the drawings, A is a base formed of sheet metal pressed into shape. It is provided with projecting-cheek-plates a a, which may be either integral with the base A proper or may be separate pieces of cast orsheet metalsuitably secured thereto. These, cheek-plates are centrally perforated for the passage of a pivot-bolt 0., having heads a ivoted upon this bolt and with flat faces bearing upon the corresponding inner' faces of the cheek-plates, is the cast arm A. This This ICO

arm is cored out, asindicated in dottedlines I in Fig. 1, to permit the passage of the conducting-wires for the transmitter. chamber or opening within'the arm is expanded at the pivoted end thereof, so that the wires may be laid on either or both sides of the bolt (1 and so that the arm can be moved freely Without binding or rubbing the wires to an excessive degree. The pivot end of the arm therefore has a rather wide opening in it, and this opening is spanned by a short projecting lug a which serves as a stop for the motion of the arm, and will be referred to presently.

The base A is formed with a eripheral flange a of considerable height. n the inclosed chamber thus formed beneath the base I secure the terminal-rack B. As a matter of arbitrary choice the base A is designed to be of elli tical or substantially elliptical shape, and t e rack B is disposed along the major axis of the ellipse. This rack comprises a metal strip 5, an overlying strip of insulating material I), and suitable springs or terminals mounted thereon with means for attaching the cord-tips thereto. The metal strip b is secured at each end to the front wall of the base by a hollow rivet W, a solid and substantial connection being thus effected, which has the additional function of affording passage for the screws 8, by which the base is fastened to the backboard .or other support. The strip 1) is provided with a central opening or slot extending along its axis at b to receive the projecting lug a on the heel of the arm A. As the arm turns up and down the movements of the lug, and therefore of the arm, are limited by the dimensions of this slot 12 and it should be noted as a point of merit in the design that since all strains are equal and opposite upon the bolt (1 and the metal strip 1) as the arm is turned to one limit or the other of its movement I have attained maximum simplicity with maximum strength by making a direct and solid connection between the base and stop I), and I have further strengthened this connection by passing the securin' screws 8 directly through it. The shape 0 the base between the rivets and the center of each cheek-plate is such that substantial distortion is almost impossible Without actual breakage, and the breaking strain would be far beyond any to which ordinary manipulation of the arm A could possibly give rise. Distortion being thus impossible, and the two ends of the base being securely fixed to the backboard it is evident that the whole structure is rendered as solid and rigid as if a heavy cast base were employed.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the means for detachably connecting the transmitterconductors with circuit-wires of the backboard or support consist of springs 0, formed of metal punchings and secured to terminalrack B, each by a screw 0. Each spring C is insulated from its screw, and so from the ter minal-rack, by an insulating-bushing c and has, in addition to its contact portion, two

projecting arms, to one of which, 0"", one of the conductors leading from the transmitter through the arm A is attached in any suitable manner, as by soldering. The other arm 0 of each spring lies along the insulatingstrip b and has an inturned lug c, which takes into a hole in said insulating-strip to prevent turning when screws 0 are tightened, and to fix the position of the contact-springs relatively to the terminal-rack. It will be observed that springs C are identical in shape, so that only one set of tools for making them is required and are arranged oppositely upon the terminal-rack, thus economizing space within the base. Secured to the backboard or support are metal contacts 0 to which the instrument circuit-wires are attached, and with which the contact-springs C cooperate to connect the transmitter therewith when the base A is mounted in position upon the backboard. By ths arrangement it will be seen that the transmitter-arm and base may be attached to and removed from the backboard or support as a unit without the expenditure of time and labor involved in fastening or unfastening or breaking connectingwires.

In Figs. 1 and 3 the detachable electrical connection between the transmitter-arm and the instrumentwiring upon the backboard comprises spring-contacts mounted in the base of the arm and cooperating with studs upon the backboard. 1n the modifications shown in Figs. 4, 5, and c this connection is efiected by contact-studs c", secured by nuts 0 to punching a, mounted upon the terminal-rack B and cooperating with springs 0" attached to the backboard or support. The screw-studs c and their nuts 0 perform, under some conditions, another function. The transmitter and base arm, furnished with a transmitter, constitute a unit which may be supplied to the trade for use upon various types of instruments which are not provided with fixed terminal contacts, such as springs 0 upon the backboard, and under these conditions studs 0 and their nuts 0 form binding-posts for the circuit-wiring. An additional feature is also shown in these figures in the method of holding the transmitterconductors K in fixed relation to the terminal-rack. For this purpose the lug c of each punching c is bent to a U shape, the free end of which extends into a hole in insulatingstrip b, as in the form shown in Figs. 1 and The insulated conductors K from the transmitter are led through the eye thus formed and soldered or otherwise secured to arm 0 of the punching. A holder for each conductor is thus provided in addition to the attachment to the terminal, whereby displacement and consequent twisting and breaking of the joint is prevented.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a further modification, in which the holding means for conductors K (shown in Figs/,1, 5, and 6) is combined with the base-carried form of contact shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Furthermore, a slight variation of the binding-post is shown in Figs. 7 and 7 consisting of a metal bushing 0, riveted into punching a and provided with a threaded hole to receive the screwstud c While I have described a concrete embodiment of my invention and several modifications thereof, it will be understood that I do not wish to limit myself or the scope of the invention to these s ecific constructions, as the invention may e carried out in other ways. Also, while I have described various parts of the apparatus as composed of punchlngs from sheet-stock suitably formed up I am not limited in this respect, but may form said parts in any other suitable manner, as by casting, if found expedient.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a base, of a transmitterarm pivoted to said base, and means within said base for supporting terminal contacts for the conductors, said means limiting the movement of said transmitter-arm.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a base, of a transmitterarm pivoted thereto and provided with a projecting member, apertured means within said base for supporting terminalcontacts for the conductors, said projectingmember adapted to coact with said apertured means to limit the movement of said transmitterarm.

3. In a supporting-arm for transmitters, a hollow base, a transmitterarm pivoted thereto, a terminal-rack mounted within said base, and a stop between said transmitter-arm and said base for limiting the movement of said arm.

4. In a supporting-arm for telephone-transmitters, a ollow base, a transmitter-arm proper pivotally attached thereto, a terminalrack mounted Within said base adjacent said pivot-mounting and. provided with a slot,

and a lug'upon said transmitter-arm proper working within said slot'for limiting the 'movement of said arm, substantially as described. y 1

5. In a supporting-arm fortelephone-transmitters, a base, a transmitter-arm proper pivotally attached thereto, a terminal-rack mounted within said base, a stop between said transmitter-arm and base for limiting the movement of said arm, and terminal contacts for the transmitter-conductors mounted upon said rack to cooperate with fixed contacts upon a backboard or support, substantially as described.

6. The combination With a hollow base for electrical apparatus, of a terminal-rack,

means for rigidly securing said rack within said base, said securing means being apertured, and means passing through said securing means adapted to secure the base to a support.

7. The combination with a hollow base for electrical apparatus, of a terminal-rack, apertured rivets for securing said rack within said base and means passing through said apertured rivets for securing the base to a suitable support.

8. Ina supporting-armfortele hone-transmitters, the combination with a ollow base, of a transmitter-arm pivoted thereto, a terminal-rack, and rivets for securing saidrack within said base, said rivets each being pro vided with an aperture, and means passing throu h said apertured rivets adaptedto secure t e base to a suitable support.

9. The combination with a hollow base for electrical apparatus, of a terminal-rack rigidly mounte the hollow thereof to constitute a brace, fixed line-terminals and terminals for the electrical apparatus mounted upon said rack adapted to connect with said fixed line-terminals, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a hollow base for electrical apparatus, a terminal-rack mounted within said base, a conductor-terminal attached to said rack having means for attachment of a conductor thereto and provided with a conductor-supporting loop or clip supplemental to the conductor-attachment means, and a contact member for said terminal to cooperate with a fixed terminal upon a backboard or support, substantially as described.

11. In a sup orting-arm for telephonetransmitters, a ollow base, a transmitterarm proper attached thereto, a terminal-rack mounted within said base, conductor-terminals attached to said rack each having means for attachment of a conductor thereto and provided with a conductor-supporting loop or clip supplemental to the conductor-attachwithin said base and bridging ment means, and contact members for said RAY H. MANSON, W. E. HARKNESS. 

